Device for feeding cartridges and for cocking the striker in automatic firearms



Dec. 2, 1930.

- G. MASCARUCCI 83,577 DEVICE FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES AND FOR COOKING THE STRIKE-R IN AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed Ju ly 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1930. G. MASCARUCCI 1,783,577

DEVICE FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES AND FOR COCKING THE STRIKER IN AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed July 11. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1]?"W y r I I-L Dec. 2, 1939. MASCARUCC] 1,783,577 DEVICE FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES AND FOR GOCKING THE STRIKER IN AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed July 11', 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 F 1'6 1 4; A m

I. VIIIIIIIIII'VIII/ Q 3 :3 g? 9 '3 R with its longitudinal edge parallel to this di Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GIUSEPPE MASCABUCCI, OF TURIN, ITALY, ASSIGNOR TO SAFAT SOGIETA ANONIMA FABBRICA ARMI-TORINO, F TURIN, ITALY, A SOCIETY OF ITALY DEVICE FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES AND FOR GOCKING THE STRIKER IN AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Application filed July 11, 1928, Serial No. 291,709, and in Italy July 16, 1927.

The subject of the present invention is a device for feeding cartridges and cocking the striker in automatic firearms, characterized by a longitudinal stop member in the form of a knife rigid with the box of the firearm, positioned so as to operate with its front edge inclined relatively to the direction of translational movement of the obturator and rection and serving, during the recoil of the obturator for producing the translational movement of the cartridge from the position from which it is removed from the cartridge carrying member as far as the position for loading into the chamber of the barrel, and consequently with 'the ejection of the case of the cartridge previously removed from the barrel itself serving in addition for effecting the control. of the members for cooking the striker which are rigid with the obturator.-

One embodiment of the subject of the invention is illustrated simply by way of example in the accompanying rawing, in

,7 which :Figs. 1 and 1 which are to be con- 25" form a single figure, show a general arrangesidered as joined along the linen-Fa so as to ment of the firearm in longitudinal section 2 and 3 similarly show this'arrangement with the members in two separate positions of operation ;-F-ig. 4 shows the whole of the members in the position shown in Fig. 3 also longitudinal section, but viewed from the opposite side ;Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken along the lines a15m, 6m6a7 and Y's-7a: in Figs. 1l ;Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken along the line 8ai-8a:;"in Fig. 2;Figs. 9 and 10 show in plan anld front view the head of the obturator ;Fi 11 is a detail. f

The invention has been illustrated as applied to an automatic firearm with a recoiling barrel. This presents no limiting feature however; in so far as the invention is also applicable to firearms with a fixed barrel.

- In the drawings (Figs. 1, 1, 2 and 3) 1 is the casing of the firearm within which are mounted soas to be adapted to slide under the effect of the recoil, both the barrel 2 and the obturator 3 which are adapted to be locked in the closed position by a locking lever 4 connected to the casing 1 of the firearm by means of links 6 pivotally connected to the said lever and to the pivot 7 rigid with the said casing. As a result of this arrangement it follows that duringthe first part of the recoil stroke the barrel 2 travels together with the obturator 3 over the portion corresponding to the amplitude of the slots 1 in the casing in which the ends of the pivot 5 are adapted to move; the lever 4 is disengaged from the shoulder 3 and the obturator is then free to travel over the remaining portion of its recoil stroke. This direct lock between the barrel 2 and the obturator 3, which forms the subject of my U. S. patent application Ser. No. 254,561, is not a necessary part of the present invention and may be replaced by any other locking device.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings the obturator 3 which is pushed into the closed position by the recuperating spring 8 acting upon the rear extension 3 is provided at the bottom with the striker 9 positioned in alignment with the barrel and actuated by the spring 10.

This striker is provided laterally with the stop tooth 9 moving in a suitable longitudinal slot in the obturator (see Fig. 4) and adapted to enter into engagement when the striker is cooked with the terminal tooth 11' of the case 11 slidably uided in the interior of a lodgment in the dbturator and upon a pin 12. The said case is also forced downwards by a spring 13. The case 11 is provided laterally with a tooth l1" engaging one of the ends of a detent lever 14 oscillatably mounted upon the pivot 15 rigid with the obturator 3 in order to oscillate in a plane parallel with the axis of the firearm. The other end of the lever 14 is adapted to strike a stop 16 when the obturator reaches its closed position in order to cause the case 11 to rise and the striker to be consequently released. This stop 16 may be fixed or movable. In the first case it is always in an effective position for producing firing and in the second it can be brought into an effective position only when desired as required in certain cases in practice.

Still in conformity to the embodiment shown in the drawing the usual casing 17 for feeding the cartridges 18 is mounted transversely about the barrel 2-and through suitable slots in the firearm casing. In the form shown these cartridges are carried by a metal ribbon 19 having detachable links but they may also be carried by a canvas ribbon or by metal loading plates or by other suitable means. The intermittent advance of the cartridge supporting means is produced in the, usual manner by means of the oscillatin feeding tooth 20 rigid with the slide bloc 21-'slidably mounted transversely in the interior of the casing 17 while the return movement of the ribbon is prevented by the other oscillating retaining tooth 22 rigid with the firearm casing.

' The above description having been given,

characteristic features of the construction forming the present invention will now be described.

In the first place the transverse slide block 21 is controlled with a, to and fro motion correlated with that of the obturator by means of a slide block 23 mounted so as to slide in a longitudinal direction in suitable grooves 1" in the firearm casing and removably connected to the obturator by means of a transverse tooth 24 engaging with a suitable mortise in the obturator itself. This slide block 23 shown in plan viewed from below in Fig. 11 is provided with a groove 23, 23" engaging with a pivot 21 of the slide block 21. This groove is formed by the two parallel longitudinal portions 23' spaced apart and connected by means of the intermediate inclined portion 23". It follows that when the to and fro longitudinal movement of the obturator takes place a correlated movement is made by the transverse slide block 21 and the latter produces the intermittent movement of advance of the cartridge carrying member.

In the interior of the firearm casing 1, opposite a longitudinal slot 3 in the obturator 3 is arranged longitudinally a fiat blade 25 secured to the said casing, for example by means of its rear catch 25 and the pin 26. In the said blade is formed a longitudinal slot 25" in order to house freely the recuperating spring 8. This is not essential inasmuch as in other cases in practice the recuperating spring may be of quite different dimensions and be differently arranged so as to obviate the necessity of providing the slot 25". The working parts of the blade 25 are its front edge 25a cut obliquely relatively to the direction of movement of the obturator and its lower horizontal edge 25', comprising at the commencement a slightly projecting incline 25.

The striker is provided at the front and at the top with a pair of wedge shaped teeth 29 (see Figs. 9 and 10) for taking the cartridge 18 from the carrier ribbon. These teeth which are adapted to engage in the projecting edge 18 or in the groove in the bottom of I the cartridge according to the type of cartridge employed, are housed in suitablelodgments in the obturator head and are mounted therein so as to be adapted to oscillate in a horizontal plane by means of a pivot 30. Suitable elastic means 31 con: stantly force these teeth 29 into the effective gripping position and in this position the back 29 of these teeth is in alignment with the sides of the obturator and consequently with the side wallsof the firearm casing 1. In the said side walls of the casingl opposite the teeth 29 when the obturator is in the closed position are formed suitable recesses 1 for the purpose of permitting the momentary space of the teeth 29 when the cartridge is taken.

By means of this arrangement a little after the commencement of the movement of recoil of the obturator the teeth 29 are locked in their closed-position and the cartridge seized cannot escape.

Upon the front of the obturator 3 is formed a vertical mortise 3 bound over a certain portion by the lateral edges 3 adapt- 33 to project, with its head, outside the m0r-' tise 3.

The operation is as follows:

In the closed position of' he obturator (Figs. 1, 1) the teeth 29 are in engagement with the projecting rim 18 at the bottom of a cartridge 18 carried by the feeding ribbon 19. When as a result of the firing of the cartridge previously placed in the barrel of the firearm the barrel and the obturator recoil and the'latter when disengaged from the barrel continues its return stroke, the cartridge 18 seized by the teeth 29 is withdrawn from the ribbon 19. The case 18 of the cartridge which has previously ed to retain the cartridge as a result of been loaded into the barrel which has remained in the barrel after firing and which was in engagement by means of its rim 18' with the lateral edges 3* of the mortise 3 in the obturator, is also withdrawn from the chamber of the barrel as shown in Fig. 2. When the obturator reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 the base of the cartridge withdrawn from the ribbon presses upon the inclined edge 25 of the blade or knife 25 and the movement of recoil of the obturator continuing, the cartridge 18 by slidvertically over the bottom of the mortise 3 and below theedges, is pushed downwards until it strikes the cartridge case 18 previously withdrawn from the barrel. This case is then pushed downwards and encounters the elastic reaction of the retaining pin 32 until it is disengaged from the edges 3 The case is then Violently ejected through a suitable lower aperture in the firearm casing by the point of the pin 32 which returns into the retaining position in order to serve as a stop at the edge of the new cartridge which has now reached the lowest position in alignment with the axis of the gun barrel as shown in Fig. 3.

During the recoil of the obturator the longitudinal slide block 23 as a result of its I groove 23', 23 in engagement with the pivot 21 of the transverse slide block 21 has effected the displacement of the latter towards the left relatively to the position shown in Fig. 5. As a consequence the feed- 5 ing tooth has produced the advance of the ribbon 19 by an amount corresponding to the distance between two successive cartridges. A new cartridge has thus been brought into the convenient position for being seized. In Fig. 8 which is similar to Fig. 5, the parts of the ribbon advancing mechanism have been shown in an intermediate position which substantially corresponds to the position of the other parts of 5 the firearm shown in Fig. 2.

When the obturator completes its return stroke from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 1, 1, the new cartridge is -moved into the chamber of the barrel while 3 the teeth 29 seize the new cartridge in the ribbon which has been carried into the gripping position. During this return of the obturator, even the transverse slide block 21 is returned into its initial position and its 5 feeding tooth 20 is raised and then engages behind the next cartridge while the retaining tooth 22 locks this cartridge ribbon and prevents it moving back. 1

When the next recoil of the obturator takes place a new cycle commences and so on.

With regard to the cocking of the striker it is observed that when the obturator recoils from theposition shown in Figs. 1, 1 into that shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the pivot 28 of i5 the lever 28 presses first upon the inclined edge of the knife and is lowered, the maximum lowering being obtained when the said pivot comes opposite the incline 25. The bent lever 28 is made to turn and its end 28" abuts against the shoulder 9 on the striker 9 which is thus pushed backwards until the tooth 11' is released in front of the tooth 9' of the striker itself. Then, when the pin 28' having passed the incline 25 comes opposite the edge 25 which forms a recess for the pin allowing it to lift slightly so that the tooth 9' of the striker stops against the tooth 11 while the contact between the end 28" of the love and the shoulder 9 ceases.

The striker thus remains locked in the cocked position while the lever 28 is rev moved from the action of the spring 10 of the striker so that the sliding friction of the in 28'- upon the edge 25 is reduced to a minimum. 1

At the end of the return stroke of the obturator the detent lever 14 strikes the stop 16 and by acting upon the tooth 11" raises the casell and the corresponding tooth 11' so that the striker is released. Up to this 90 moment the lever 28 performs the function of providing an absolute safety. In fact, as long as the pin 28 has not completed its travel along the edges 25", 25, 25 as far as the position shown in Figs. 1, 1 that is to say as long as the obturator has not effectively returned into its closed position, the striker is not free to move into the firing position. Moreover, if by any accident the striker has been effectively cocked it returns into the firb ing position relatively slowly and the shot cannot be fired.

By means of the construction described above of the feeding device, it is fairly easy,

as is required in certain cases in practice, to v change the direction of feed of the ribbon 19 which in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing is from right to left. In order to reverse the direction of feed of the ribbon so that it becomes from left to right it is sufiicient to replace the slide block 23 by another slide block having a groove 23, 23 in the opposite direction, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, and the feeding casing 17 and corresponding slide block 21 by another reverse casing as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. This object is thus obtained by simply replacing the two parts above mentioned.

It is obvious that the present invention is in no way limited to the exact arrangement described and illustrated, but that without going outside its scope it may undergo all modifications which circumstances or the requirements of practice may cause to be considered necessary or advantageous.

I claim:

1. In a fire-arm, a casing, a barrel in the latter, means for feeding cartridges to the casing beside the barrel, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing having an 180 oblique front edge portion, a recoil operated obturator in the casing slidable longitudinally of the blade, and means on the front end of the obturator adapted to hold a cartridge against said oblique edge of the obturator wherebya cartridge is moved along said edge from the axis of said feeding means to the axis of the barrel during the recoil of the obturator.

2. In a fire arm, a casing, a barrel in the latter, means to feed a cartridge to the casing beside the barrel, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing having an oblique front edge portion, a recoil operated obturator in the casing slidable longitudinally of the blade, extractor members mounted in the obturator opposite the cartridge feeding means adapted to hold a cartridge against said inclined edge and means co-operati-ng with the latter in the front end of the obtura-tor to transfer a cartridge from the extractor members to the axis of the barrel.

I 3. In a tire arm, a casing, a barrel in the latter, means to feed a cartridge to the casing beside the barrel, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing behind the latter and having an inclined front end portion, a recoil operated obturator in the casing slidable longitudinally of the blade, extractor teeth in the obturator opposite the cartridge feeding means, and a groove in the front end of the obturator extending from the extractor teeth to the lower edges of the obturator and having lateral ribs to engage the end of a cartridge to hold the latter in said groove whereby a cartridge is moved from said teeth to the axis of the barrel during the recoil of the obturator.

4. In a fire arm, a casing, a barrel in the latter, means to feed a cartridge to the casing beside the barrel, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing behind the barrel and having an inclined front end portion, a recoil operated obturator having a longitudinal slot to receive said blade, pivoted extractor teeth -in the obturator opposite the cartridge feeding means, and adapted to be held in gripping position by said casing, recesses in the latter, springs to swing the teeth into said recesses, and a groove in the front end of the obturator extending from said teeth and having lateral ribs to engage the end of a cartridge to hold the latter in said groove during the recoil of the obturator.

5. In a fire arm, a casing, a barrel in the latter, means to feed a cartridge to the casing beside the barrel, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing behind the barrel and having an inclined front end portion, a recoil operated obturator having a longitudinal slot to receive said blade, pivoted extractor teeth in the obturator opposite the cartridge feeding means, and adapted to be held in gripping position by said casing, re-

forming an abutment for a cartridge in the obturator.

6. In a fire arm, a casing, a barrel therein, a longitudinally extending blade fixed in the casing having anoblique front edge, arecoil operated obturator in the casing slidable longitudinally of the blade and having a longitudinal slot to receivethe latter, a spring actuated striker mounted in and slidable longitudinally, of the obturator, ashoulder on the striker, alever pivoted-in the obturator, a pin on the lever extending into the slot to engage said edge for rocking the lever during the recoil of the obturator, said blade having an auxiliaryvinclined portion on its bottom edge to engage said pin to move one end of'the lever into engagement with said shoulder and'move the striker into cocked position, a spring actuated pawl carried by the obturator to, lock the striker in cocked position, said blade having a'recess in .the rear of the auxiliary inclined portion to receive the pin thereby releasing the pin from the shoulder, and means operated by the recoil of the obturator to raise the pawl and release the striker.-

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventiomI have signed m name.

GIUSEPPE MA oARUoof 

